Memories are sometimes the only things that we have left of those we love the most. As the quote goes:
“A moment lasts for seconds but the memories last forever.”
In today’s story, we learn that lesson has never been truer for Mark Hunter, the dad of a fallen soldier in Afghanistan.
Not long ago, Mark Hunter learned of an anonymous tribute that honored two fallen heroes, one of them his son.
Mark Hunter’s son, Sgt. Jonathon Hunter, lost his life in Afghanistan almost 5-years-ago now. Since then, Mark’s life has had its definite moments of pain. For Mark, one of the most important things is the remembrance of his son and his sacrifice.
In a random diner on Sunday, August 2nd, 2020, the third anniversary of Mark’s son’s death, the world was reminded that his memory lives on.
At Cabby Shack, a restaurant in Massachusetts, a man walked in and ordered three beers.
One of the beers was for him, the other two were for his friends. The waitress kindly brought the drinks over and went off to take care of her other tables. Fifteen minutes later, however, the man was gone. What was left at the table was an empty drink (his) and two full drinks, each with a photo of a fallen soldier and a note with their names that read “Not Forgotten!!”.
One of the photos of those young men was Mark’s son, Jonathan.
“I was tagged on Facebook,” Hunter explained. “Then after that, everybody starting sending it to me. And after that it just blew up like it did on the internet, just went viral!” – WTHR
For the waitresses, it was a moment of realization. The man was leaving a memory and a photo to share the life of his two friends, Jonathan Hunter and Chris Harris. Both men perished when a Taliban bomber attacked their convoy in a suicide mission.
For Mark, this was a sign that someone across the country was thinking about his son.
Knowing that someone else cared for someone you cared about creates a kind of connection that is hard to explain in words.
“I cried. I mean, that was right after the third year anniversary,” Hunter said. “It means a lot. Because that’s my goal. For him never to be forgotten. That’s why I started a scholarship fund in his name.”
Mark thinks that the mystery man likely served with the two men. When he thinks back on the funeral in 2017, he remembers that a man who lived in Boston drove hours to be there. If he remembers things correctly, it’s likely the same man.
Although there is still the pain of loss, the fact that people around the country also cared for him is a comfort.
“It just touches my heart,” Hunter said, “as it did many many other people that didn’t even know him. They just felt the gesture was true and kind and worthy.”
In all things, love is important. Although it might not seem like much to you and me, two full cups in a bar in Massachusets meant the world to a grieving dad in Indiana.
Check out the video below to see more on this touching story!
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